Packaging apparatus and method



Sept. 8, 1959 H. R. DENTON 1 2,902,907

PACKAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed June 18, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. HA RVEY R DE NTON ATTOBNEYS p 8, 1959 H. R. DENTON 2,902,907

PACKAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1956 I Q 28 s INVENTOR. HARVEY R. DENTON BY 7M%;%/

ATTORNEYS Sept. 8, 1959 H. R. DENTON 2,902,907

' PACKAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed June 18, 1956 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 L 7/ LM 7 Fla-6 a INVENTOR.

HARVEY R, DENTON ATTORNEYS 2,9il2fiil'7 PACKAGING APhARATUf'a AND METHUD Harvey R. Danton, Oakland, Califl, assignor to Diamond Gardner Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application lune 18, 1956, Serial No. 591,851

8' Claims. til. 93- 54) This invention relates to packaging apparatus and methods and more particularly to a method and machine for attaching a thin, flexible sheet of material to a tray or open top container.

In the art to which this invention relates articles of produce and the like are packaged in an open top tray over which it is desired to secure a transparent film of thermoscaling plastic or the like. Such a tray and its purpose are fully disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 428,720, filed May 10, 1954.

It has been found advisable to secure one end of the plastic sheet cover to the bottom of the tray before adding the contents thereto, and then afterwards swinging the cover over the contents and securing its other end in place. l-lerctofore the securing of the plastic sheet to the container has presented many problems because handling the thin flexible sheets contemplated for use 7 here is fraught with dhiiculties. Not only has the thin sheet material been easily wrinkled and fouled in machinery but it is so light that it has tended to float away under the influence of static electricity from conveyors and the like adapted to move it into association with the tray.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide apparatus and methods for securing a sheet of flexible material to a container which overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a novel method for attaching a sheet of flexible material to a container in which wrinkling of the sheet during attachment is prevented.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a machine for rapidly handling containers and thin, flexible sheet material and securing the latter to the former.

A further object of this invention is the provision of apparatus for attaching flexible sheets to containers in which the flexible material is held under restraint at all times.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the packaging apparatus of this invention;-

Fig. 2 is a top plan view as seen from line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2, showing a means for applying adhesive to a tray;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing the cooperation of the conveying and cutting mechanisms of the present invention;

Figs. 5-7 are sectional views similar to Fig. 4, showing the sequence of operation of the flap tucking and tray stacking mechanisms; and,

Fig. 8 is atop plan view of the mechanism for operating the flap tucking and tray stacking elements of Figs. 5-7. 1

The apparatus and method of this invention are adapted to apply a length of a flexible, thin, sheet material such as a film made of regenerated cellulose or rubber hydrochloride, to a tray shaped container, to provide a transparent, enveloping film about said container which e11.- ables merchandise contained therein to be protectively displayed.

The trays referred to herein may be of any generall regular shape, such as square, rectangular, oval, etc., in plan view. The trays upon which this present invention is adapted to operate are conventionally rectangular in shape, with upwardly diverging, side walls that may be continuous and integral with the bottom of said tray. Examples would bea pressure molded paper composition tray or a die formed blank with folded and interlocked side walls. However, the machine of this present invention need not be restricted to the handling of paper product trays as metallic, wooden and plastic compositiontrays may be accommodated with equal success.

Essentially the machine of the present invention comprises a conveyor mechanism having flights carried on a pair of parallel roller chains for conveying a tray-shaped, substantially rectangular, empty container past an ad? hesive applying mechanism, for depositing said tray upon an uncut sheet of material such as regenerated cellulose, and then further moving said tray and said sheet material past a sheet cutting mechanism which severs the end of the material adhering to said tray from the remaining continuous strip of sheet material. The tray with the cut length of material attached thereto is then moved to a stacking mechanism which positions the accumulating trays and attached sheets in stacked relationshipto facilitate their easy removal from a tray accumulating stacking chute.

In detail, as best seen in Figs. 1, 2, the mechanisms of this present invention are carried by a pair of parallel side members ll, 2, constituting a frame.

Slidably mounted, between frame side members 1, 2 at the rear or tray receiving portion of the machine is a flight car: .ng conveyor assembly generally designated 3. Said assembly 3 comprises a pair of parallel, opposed, horizontally elongated side members 4-, 5, supported in parallel, spaced relation to a pair of elongated horizontal rods 6, 7, which in turn are supported in bearing blocks 8, attached to the inner sides of frame members 1, 2. Attached to the rear portion of members 4, 5 are nut elements 9, ltl adapted to scrcwthreadedly engage the right and left hand threaded portion of rods 6, 7, respectively. Attached to the forward end of members 4, 5 are a pair of bearing blocks ll, 12 adapted to slidably receive the shanks of rods 6, '7 therethrough.

Rods 6, '7 at the rearward portions thereof may be connected by a belt or roller chain 13. Chain 13 enables the turning movement of the rods 6, 7 to be synchro nized as hand wheel is mounted on rod 6 is turned by the operator.

It is seen by this structure that assembly 3 is movable longitudinally with respect to the rest of the machine by the turning of rods 6, 7 within bearing blocks 8. The purpose of this above described motion of assembly 3 is to allow the machine to accommodate various sizes of trays as will be subsequently described.

As used herein forward will denote a direction along the path of travel of the trays, from left to right as viewed in Figs. 1, 2, and rearward will denote the opposite direction, or right to left as seen in Figs. 1, 2.

Mounted transversely of, and rotatably on members i, 5 are a pair of parallel, spaced rods l5, 16 each having a portion thereof threaded with right and left hand threads. Rods l5, l6 are'adapted to screwthreadedly engage and support a pair of parallel, longitudinally 3 7 extending, angle bar shaped carrying rails 17, 18. Rails 17, 18 preferably have unequal flange lengths with the shorter flanges thereof being upwardly directed and the longer flanges lying in a horizontal plane and directed inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of the machine. Rails 17, 18 thus provide horizontal tray supporting surfaces 19 (Fig. 3) and a pair of upwardly directed side walls 20 to confine the trays 31 to a straight, longitudinal path of travel.

Rails 17, 18 are screwthreadedly engaged with rods 15, 16 to allow adjustment of the parallel spacing of the former so as to accommodate various widths of trays. The spacing may be adjusted by the operator turning the hand wheels 21 attached to one end of each rod 15, 16.

As a means of conveying the trays along their path of travel, a plurality of equally spaced, transverse flights 22 are mounted on a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending, horizontally co-planar roller chains 23, 24 (Figs. 2, 3).

Flights 22 may be adapted to ride upon the top surface of flanges 20 (Fig. 3) and thereby engage and push the trays 31 along guide rails 17, 18. Rotatably mounted between and transversely of members 4, adjacent the rear ends thereof, is the flight chain drive shaft 25, and coaxially mounted thereon are a pair of spaced chain sprockets 26, 27 adapted to engage and drive flight chains 23, 24 respectively. Rotatably mounted to the inner forward ends of members 4, 5 are a pair of opposed sprockets 28 (Fig. 4) adapted to engage roller chains 23, 24 and allow the latter to pass therearouud and return to the rear portion of the machine. In order to provide clearance between the lower portions of chains 23, 24 and the various mechanism mounted below assembly 3, the said lower portion of chains 23, 24 may be deflected downwardly over sprockets 30 mounted on struts 29 extending downwardly from said assembly 3 (Fig. 1).

As the trays 31 are loaded one at a time upon the rear end of rails 17, 18 the rear edge of each tray is engaged by a forwardly advancing flight 22 which urges the tray forwardly along said rails to an adhesive applying mechanism. Said adhesive applying mechanism consists of a trough shaped reservoir 32 (Figs. 2, 3) mounted transversely to the path of travel of said trays, in which a partly submerged shaft 33, fitted with a plurality of radial flanges 34, is rotated, as by motor 35 (Fig. 3). The adhesive 39contained within reservoir 32 is thus picked up by the flanges 34 and is deposited by the peripheral edges thereof against the underside of the tray as it passes over the said rotating flanges (Fig. 3). As a means of insuring positive engagement of the underside of the tray and the peripheral edges of the flanges 34 a plurality of parallel, radially extending, arcuately terminating feet 36 are mounted on a shaft 37 parallel with and vertically coplanar to shaft 33. Shaft 37 with connected feet 36 is rotated (counterclockwise as seen in Fig. 3) by means of a flight chain engaging sprocket 38 affixed to shaft 37.

Feet 36 are adapted to be in the downward tray engaging position shown in Fig. 3, at the proper time to contact said tray and thereby urge said tray into positive engagement with the rotating adhesive bearing flanges 34. The aforementioned adhesive applying mechanism consisting of the trough shaped reservoir 32, shaft 33, flanges 34, and motor 35 is a commercially available item and is described merely by way of clarifying the cooperative action of feet 36 and connected mechanism. i

It is apparent that the adhesive 39 is a viscous liquid and that the exact nature or composition of the same may vary depending upon the composition of the trays and sheet material.

Upon the application of the adhesive materialto the underside of the tray 31, said tray is further moved forwardly by flights 22 along rails 17, 18 to a Securing station where said tray is deposited upon an uncut, flat sheet 40 (Fig. 4) of flexible materialsuch as regenerated cellulose or rubber hydrochloride.

The uncut sheet of material at the point of contact with said tray is lying flat on an endless belt type conveyor 41 supported by rotatably mounted transverse rollers 42, 43, 44 (Fig. 4). The sheet material is unrolled as needed from a storage reel 45 whereupon it passes over an idler roller 46, tension roller 47 and thence upwardly to engage belt 41 by roller 42. The sheet then passes between the belt 41 at a point tangent to roller 42 and the parallel tangentially engaging roller 48 which serves to facilitate the unwinding of the material from reel 45.

At this point it should be pointed out that the motion of the flight 22 and roller chains 23, 24 is uniformly constant and the motion of the endless conveyor belt 41 is intermittent and so synchronized with the speed of the flights that there is never more than one tray on said belt 41 at one time.

As the tray is deposited upon the sheet material 40 on conveyor 41 the latter is not moving in order to allow the adhesive coated underside of the tray to establish contact with the sheet material. To provide for the positive engagement of the tray and sheet material there is pivotally mounted, as at 56, to cross brace 51 (Fig. 2) an elongated forwardly extending cam actuated lever arm 52 (Figs. 2, 4) the forward end of which is bent downwardly to terminate in a substantially horizontal foot 53 (Fig. 4). Foot 53 is adapted to be pressed against the upper surface of the bottom of the tray thereby firmly engaging the adhesive coated underside of the tray with the sheet material 4% This aforementioned movement is accomplished while the tray and belt 41 are momentarily stopped. The lever arm 52 with connected foot 53 is actuated by a radial cam 54 mounted on a constantly rotating shaft 55.

Subsequent to the foot 53 pressing the tray firmly upon the sheet material, belt 41 advances said tray, with the attached uncut sheet material, forwardly beyond the now raised out 01f knife 57, at the cut off station, to be engaged by a similar forwardly moving endless belt conveyor 58 mounted coplanar to belt 41 on the opposite side of knife 57.

Rotatably mounted on shaft 59 rearwardly of knife 57 are a pair of coaxial, transversely elongated rollers 60 (Figs. 2, 4) adapted to be adjustably spaced above conveyor 41 to assist trays 31 in traversing the discontinuity between belts 41 and 58 by providing frictional engagement between the upper rim of said tray and the periphery of rollers 66). Shaft 59 is cantilevered from a pair of leaf type spring members 61 which are secured at their rearward ends to cross brace 62 (Figs. 2, 4). Shaft 59 is intermittently rotated by means of belt 63 connected to a pulley 64 on a spaced, parallel shaft 65.

Cut off knife 57, mounted transversely of the path of travel of said tray in the discontinuity between belts 41 and 58, is adapted for reciprocation in a vertical plane by means of a pair of coaxial, radial earns 66 (Fig. 4) acting through rollers 67 and push rods 68. Cams 66 are mounted on main drive shaft 69 which will be subsequently described in detail with the description of the power train of the present invention.

Knife 57 (Fig. 4) is adapted to perform the severing operation against anvil 57a in which a length of the sheet material 40 adhering to the tray is severed from the remaining continuous portion thereof by descending downwardly upon the trailing portion of said sheet after the tray and the leading edge of said sheet attached thereto have passed beneath the blade of knife 57.

The aforementioned conveyor belt 58 mounted forwardly adjacent to the cut off knife 57 is supported by drive roller 71, and idler rollers 72, 73, 74. Belt 58 moves intermittently with belt 41, at a preferably slightly greater velocity than the latter, to receive said tray with attached sheet material from belt 41 and convey the same to the awaiting, reciprocable, horizontal receiving platform 76 (Figs. 5, 6) at the forward terminal end of conveyor 58. The slightly greater speed of belt 58 acts to keep sheet 40 taut and extending rearwardly from tray 31. Upon the tray and attached sheet material being deposited on the rear end portion of platform 76, and just prior to the ensuing forward motion of the latter, cut off knife 57 descends upon the trailing portion of said sheet and severs the same from the remaining uncut portion to the rear of knife 57. The leading edge of the remaining uncut sheet material atop conveyor 41 adjacent knife 57 is now ready to receive the next tray in line and repeat the above described operations.

The leading tray, with the attached trailing portion of sheet material 41) that has been severed from the uncut portion thereof, is now carried forward by platform 76, to be positioned over the receiving end 80 of a stacking chute 81 (Figs. 1, 5, 6, 7). When reaching the proper position above end 80 of the chute the forward or leading edge of the tray engages a vertically extending stripper plate 77 (Figs. 5, 6) which projects upwardly through the central opening 78 in platform 76 (Figs. 2, 8). Stripper plate 77 stops the tray from further forward motion while the platform 76 continues to move forward and emerges from under said tray. To prevent the tray from bouncing backward due to the impact resulting when the tray is engaged by stripper plate 77, a means adapted to prevent such bouncing is employed, such as the swingably mounted gripping fingers 79 shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7. While the tray is being carried forward on platform 76, belt 58 is likewise conveying the trailing portion of the attached sheet material so not to put any undue strain upon the adhesive that may be yet unset.

In the event that the tray should be lifted or floated upwardly off belt 58 or platform 76 due to sudden jarring or air currents acting upon said tray, a plurality of horizontally coplanar, longitudinally elongated, forwardly moving belts 82 are provided. Belts 82 are disposed horizontally overlying the conveyor belt 58 and receiving platform 76 and upwardly therefrom, with the lower surfaces of belts 82 adapted to engage the upper rim portion of trays 31 in the event of the aforementioned raising of the latter, to thereby maintain the forward motion of said tray until it returns to said conveyor belt 58 or platform 76. The movement of belts 82 is intermittent along with the like movement of conveyor belt 58. Belts 82 are supported for the above described movement by pulleys 83 attached to driving shaft 84 and forward, parallel, idler shaft 85 (Figs. 1, 2).

As the tray 31 with the attached length of sheet material is removed from the receiving platform 76 by the stripper plate 77, a downwardly descending tucking blade 86, engages the trailing portion of attached sheet material 40 and removes the same from belt 58 subsequently allowing the trailing fiap to be positioned extending vertically downwardly overlying the top edge of the rear wall 87 of said stacking chute 81 (Fig. 7).

Simultaneously descending with the tucking blade 86 is a tray engaging tamping foot 90 mounted substantially centrally above the receiving end 80 of chute 81. Foot 90 is adapted to engage the upper surface of the bottom wall of said tray thereby pushing the tray downwardly causing it to nest within the upwardly opening confinement offered by the previously stacked tray. As this operation is repeated upon each succeeding tray with attached flap of sheet material, it is seen that they are stacked one upon another in nested fashion, each with their attached length of sheet material trailing behind along wall 87 of chute 81. The leading tray that was first deposited in the chute 81 advances forward as each succeeding tray is pushed downwardly into the accumulating stack by said tamping foot 90.

Tucking blade 86 and tamping foot 90 are adapted to be reciprocated in a vertical plane by means of attached vertically elongated rods 91, 92 respectively. Rods 91,

92 are slidably mounted within vertical bearing sleeves 93, 94 (Figs. 1, 8) respectively, rigidly mounted to a pair of parallel, spaced vertically coplanar longitudinally extending frame members 95, 96 (Fig. 1). As a means of effecting the vertical reciprocation of said rods 91, 92 a pair of oppositely rotating crank elements 97, 98 are connected to a pair of meshing spur gears 99, 100 by a pair of shafts which are rotatably mounted within bearings 101, 102 respectively on vertical plate 103 connected to frame members 95, 96 (Fig. 8). Pivotally mounted between the ends of cranks 97, 98 and the upper ends of rods 91, 92 are connecting rods 104, 105 respectively, which are adapted to change the rotating motion of cranks 97, 98 to the reciprocating motion of said rods 91, 92 and their attached tucker blade 86 and foot 90, respectively.

To better understand the transmission of power through the machine a detailed description of the various drive mechanisms is in order. The main drive shaft 69 is rotated counterclockwise as seen in Figs. 1, 4 at approximately 35 R.P.M. by means of a motor acting through a speed reducer 111 and belt 112. The right hand end of shaft 69 (as viewed from the rear of the machine looking forwardly) is fitted with an adjustable stroke crank 114 (Fig. l) which is adapted to rotate with shaft 69. The adjustable crank pin mechanism on crank 114 is pivotally connected to a gear rack connecting rod 114a which in turn operates a conventional gear type ratchet hub 115. Hub 115 is afiixed to the right hand outwardly projecting end of shaft 116 which is adapted to intermittently drive roller 42 mounted coaxially thereon (Fig. 4). The number of revolutions of shaft 116 with respect to the main drive shaft 69 is adjustably controlled by increasing or decreasing the stroke of the gear rack connecting rod 114a between crank 114 and hub 115.

The aforementioned intermittent motion producing mechanism is a commercially available item, and is briefly described here merely to illustrate its present employment. Coaxially mounted on shaft 116 adjacent hub 115 is a chain drive sprocket 117 (Fig. 2) adapted to engage and drive roller chain 118 which in turn drives parallel shaft 119 by means of sprocket 120 mounted thereon. Sprocket 120 is preferably of a smaller pitch diameter than sprocket 117 so as to rotate shaft 119 at a slightly greater speed than shaft 116. Roller 71 which drives conveyor belt 58 is mounted on shaft 119 (Fig. 4). Also mounted on shaft 119, inwardly of sprocket 120 is a spur gear 121 (Fig. 1) which is adapted to mesh with a similar spur gear 122 affixed to the right hand, outwardly projecting end of shaft 8 Coaxially mounted on shaft 84, adjacent gear 122 is another chain engaging and driving sprocket 123 (Fig. 2) which in turn is adapted to rotate shaft 65 by a similar sprocket on the latter. By this above description it is seen that the intermittent motion of conveyor belts 41 and 58, rollers 66 and belts 82 is effected by the intermittent rotation of shaft 116 to which the former are connected by the various chain and spur gear drives.

The other parts of this present invention that are adapted to operate at a uniform constant speed also receive their power through various transmission mechanisms which are connected to the main drive shaft 69.

Mounted on the outwardly extending left end of shaft 69, for rotation therewith, is a chain drive sprocket (Fig. 2) adapted to drive the aforementioned shaft 55 by means of interconnecting roller chain 131 and a similar sprocket 132 mounted on the left end of said shaft 55.

The preferable drive or speed ratio between shafts 69 and 55 is one-to-one as will be the ratios between the other constant motion mechanism unless otherwise stated. This is done so that one revolution of shaft 69 completes one cycle of operation of the present invention.

As was previously stated, shaft 55 is adapted to contain thereon cam 54 which acts on arm 52 to operate the aforementioned pressure foot 53 (Fig. 4).

Also mounted on shaft 55, adjacent sprocket 132, is a spur gear 133 (Fig. 2) adapted to mesh with a similar spur gear 134 mounted on a parallel idler shaft 135 which is rotatably mounted on frame member 2. Shaft 135 is adapted to drive the hereinbefore described flight chain drive shaft 25 by means of an interconnecting roller chain 136 and sprockets 137, 133 mounted on shafts 135 and 25 respectively. Since shaft 25 is mounted on the longitudinally movable frame 3, and shaft 135 to the stationary frame members 2, a chain slack takeup device (not shown) may be interposed between said shafts so as to maintain the proper tension in roller chain 136 for all positions of said member 3.

Also mounted on shaft 69, spaced inwardly from said sprocket 130 is another similar sprocket 139 (Fig. 2) which is adapted to drive the rotatably mounted transverse shaft l-i-tl, mounted parallel to and spaced above shaft 85, by means of an interconnecting roller chain 141 and a similar sprocket 142 mounted to the left hand end of said shaft 140.

Shaft 140 is adapted to contain thereon additional sprocket elements which are utilized to drive the flap tucking and stacking mechanism, and the reciprocable horizontal platform 76 by means of further roller chain elements connected thereto.

The flap tucking and stacking mechanism is driven by such a roller chain 143 (Fig. 8) linking with sprocket 144 mounted coaxial with and adjacent to spur gear 10:), thereby providing the drivingmeans for effecting the previously described motion of the said flap tucking and stacking mechanism.

The previously stated reciprocation of platform 76 is accomplished by means of a swingably mounted connecting rod 14% attached thereto (Fig. 2). The other end of i said connecting rod 148 is pivotally mounted to a crank 149 which is driven by the rotatably mounted transverse crank shaft 155) attached thereto. rank shaft 150 is rotated by means of sprockets and a roller chain, of the previously described nature, which connect it with the aforementioned shaft 14%.

To horizontally support the reciprocahle platform 76, a

number of horizontal rails 16th may be provided, rigidly mounted and underlying the said platform 76 so to allow the platform 76 to slide thereon.

- As there are a great many different sizes of trays to which the trailing piece of sheet material is to be added, and since it would be economically unfeasible to provide a separate machine of this present invention for each size, it is therefore desirable that one machine may be adapted to accommodate as many different tray sizes as possible. Longer trays require the slidahle flight carrying assembly 3 to be moved rearwardly thus increasing the space between the forward terminal ends of carrying rails 17, 18 and cut off knife 57, with the opposite movement of assembly 3 for shorter trays. Also longer trays require longer attached pieces of sheet material and this may be accomplished by simultaneously increasing the stroke of crank 114, thereby increasing the relative travel of con veyor belts i1 and 53 with respect to one revolution of main shaft 69; and moving chute 81 with the vertically extending stripper plates 77 attached thereto, forward thus allowing the reciprocable platform 76 to carry the tray and attached sheet material further forward thereby enabling a longer piece of trailing sheet material to be pulled through the raised knife 57 prior to said sheet being cut.

The parallel spacing of guide rails l7, 18 is adjustable to compensate for the various widths of trays that may be used, likewise so is the spacing of the rotating feet 36 (Fig. 3), rollers 60 (Fig. 2) and belts 82.

Also the invention may be provided with several pairs of variously shaped and sized tucker blades 86 and stacking feet 9*0, which may be substituted for one another as required.

Though described in its preferred form, it is evident many modifications may be resorted to, such as heating units to heat seal the film material to the tray at the 8 securing station, where the composition of said tray and sheet material permits, and like modifications not departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1. Apparatus for attaching a sheet of thin, flexible material to an open top container comprising: means for continuously conveying said container along a horizontal path of travel in one direction, means for intermittently delivering the end portion of a strip of said material from a storage roll to a position in said path in engagement with said container, means for securing said end portion of said strip to said container, means for urging said container in said one direction past said position for maintaining said strip taut, and cutting means adjacent said position and intermittently movable across said path for severing said strip into a sheet attached at one end to the bottom of said container with the other end trailing therefrom.

2. Apparatus for attaching a sheet of thin, flexible material to an open top container comprising: means for continuously conveying said container along a horizontal path oftravel in one direction, means for intermittently delivering the end portion of a strip of said material from a storage roll to a position in said path in engagement with said container, means for securing said end portion of said strip to said container, means for urging. said container in said one direction past said position for maintaining said strip taut, and cutting means adjacent said position and intermittently movable across said path for severing said strip into a sheet attached at one end to the bottom of said container with the other end trailing therefrom, and means for stacking a plurality of said containers with their attached sheets in nested relation upon delivery thereof from said urging means with said trailing portion extending over the edge of said stack.

3. Apparatus for attaching a sheet of thin, flexible material to an open top container comprising: a continuously moving conveyor for delivering a plurality of said containers spaced one after the other to a securing station, a storage roll of a continuous strip of said material, a first intermittently movable support in extension of said conveyor at said securing station adapted to receive the end portion of said strip and one of said con.- tainers at a time from said conveyor in engaging relation to said strip and for advancing said strip and said container in one direction, securing means at said secur ing station for securing said portion of said strip to said container, a knife at a cut off station spaced from said ecuring station in said direction and a second intermittently movable support on the side of said knife opposite said first support for advancing said strip and said container past said out off station, said knife being operable to sever the portion of said strip secured to said container from the remainder of said strip.

4. Apparatus for attaching a sheet of thin, flexible material to an open top container comprising: means for continuously conveying said container along a horizontal path of travel in one direction, means intermediate the ends of said conveying means for applying an adhesive to a portion of said container, means for delivering the end portion of a strip of said material from a storage roll to a position in said path in engagement with said por tion of said container for securing said strip to said container, intermittent means for urging said container in said one direction past said position for maintaining said strip taut, and cutting means adjacent said position and intermittently movable across said path for severing said strip into a sheet attached at one end to the bottom of said container with the other end trailing therefrom.

5. The method of attaching a sheet of flexible material of predetermined length to containers comprising the steps of applying adhesive to the bottom surface of said containers, feeding said containers individually onto one end of an uncut strip of sheet material which is located 9 in a container receiving position, securing said container to said strip, advancing said container to a predetermined point with said unattached uncut strip trailing therefrom in a taut condition, and severing said strip to form a sheet of predetermined length secured at one end to said container with the terminal portion trailing therefrom and leaving the leading edge of the remaining uncut sheet material in container-receiving position.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said containers with the sheet material trailing therefrom are stacked in nested relation with said trailing portion extending over the edge of said stack.

7. The method of attaching a sheet of flexible material of predetermined length to flat-bottom containers having side walls extending from said bottom wall comprising the steps of feeding said containers so that the underside of the bottom wall of each container is in contact with an adhesive applying device, simultaneously applying pressure to the upper surface of said bottom wall, feeding each said container onto one end of an uncut strip of sheet material with said adhesively coated bottom wall into engaging relationship therewith, applying pressure to the upper surface of said bottom wall so that said container is firmly engaged with said sheet material, advancing said container to a predetermined point with said attached uncut sheet of material trailing therefrom in taut condition, cutting oif said sheet material at a point so that said cut portion of the sheet material trails from the point of engagement with said container and leaving the leading edge of the uncut portion of said sheet material in position to receive the next adhesively coated container.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said containers with the sheet material attached to their bottom surfaces and trailing therefrom are stacked in nested relation with the trailing portion of the sheet material extending over the side of the stack of containers.

9. Apparatus for attaching a sheet of thin flexible material to the underside of an open-top container, comprising means for continuously conveying said container along a horizontal path of travel in one direction, means intermediate the ends of said conveying means for applying an adhesive to the underside of said container, means operatively associated with said conveying means for engaging the container while it is over said adhesive applying means and for applying downward pressure thereto, a storage roll of a continuous strip of said material, an intermittently movable support in extension of said conveying means adapted to receive the end portion of said strip of material and said container from said conveying means in engaging relation to said strip and for advancing said strip and said container in said one direction, and cutting means adjacent said position and intermittently movable across said path for severing said strip into a sheet attached at one end to the bottom of said container with the other end trailing therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 303,600 Abbott Aug. 17, 1884 542,384 Hobbs July 9, 1895 644,246 Glazier Feb. 27, 1900 1,402,259 Smith Jan. 3, 1922 2,649,392 Marshall Aug. 18, 1953 2,761,359 Sargent Sept. 4, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 748,753 Great Britain May 9, 1956 

